The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-11-16
4 FATAL EXPLOSION.
Eight Persons Killed and Many
Injured in st. Louis.
A Two-Story Brick Building Com
pletely Demolished.

A fash, followed by dull roar and then
the crash Of walls, convulsed the centre Of
st. Louis at 1903 the other morning. An ex-
plosion of gasoline in the rear Of the cellar
of Michael Newman's grocery store, is South
Fourteenth street, had lifted the two-story
building from its foundation and dropped it
back again in ruins, beneath which were
buried eighteen persons
Instantly killed-Michael Newman, grocer,
aged SO; Mrs Annie Newman, aged 40: John
Newman, aged 18; Kate Newman, aged IL;
Eddie Newman, aged Ii; Charles N. Deveere,
travelling salesman, aged 40; Mrs. Charles N.
Deveere, Mrs. Agnes Beasley.
Wounded-Miss Mamie Newman, aged
eighteen, fatally hurt; Miss Nellie Newman,
recovery doubtful; Miss Hattie Brown, Co
lumbus, KY, will recover.
The building, two ostory brick, was COM
pleted but short time ego. All Of the up
stairs portion was occupied as tenements. MIR.
store. The force of the explosion was terrific.
The entire block of buildings across the alley
from the building in which the explosion took
place where Quilted by the blast. The ruins
of the Newman block were covered by the
roof, which had settled down upon the heap
of debris and formed a barrier through which
the rescuers had to cut way. Threatening
walls on either side overhung ready to crush
the gallant men who hurried to the spot.
The roof was soon demolished, and in the
debris were revealed the mangled forms Of
Newman's family. Two young women, New
mans daughters were first removed. Mamie,
eighteen years Of age, was still alive, but
mangled from the timbers and charred by
the fire that followed the explosion;
she was beyond the hope Of recovery.
Her sister Nel'ie,, a girl Of fifteen years,
F1- IAr Cfc&a nd
seemed to forget her own desperate injuries
For the half hour that these two were impris-
oned their efforts had been to draw near to
each other. The rest of the Newman family
were dead. Some sat upright, and others
were doubled in their teds. Life bad evil
IDENTIFY fled while they we're asleep.
In the same building lived Charles n.
Deveere, travelling salesman, and his WIFE,.
Visiting them was Miss Hattie Brown,
Of Columbus, Ky. She was badly injured,
but miraculously escaped death. She awoke
to find herself buried beneath heavy timbers,
somewhere against wall. She is una ble
to tell where she was thrown, but
when her eyes opened, she beheld thrilling
scene. On one side flames were rising, while
crashing timbers and the clatter OF iron caused
dangerous missiles to fly about her head. The
screams Of those in the adjoining buildings
rang in her ears. She tried to escape, but
found her efforts batfled. She was firmly
pinned down by beam and an iron rod. She
could not tell what means she employed to
get out, but as she twisted and struggled in
vain, the fire was blown toward her until
her hair was singed. Just as she sank back
in despair, the ruins settled, and
the overhanging timbers were raised
from the limbs which they had imprisoned.
No time was to be lost, as the fire pressed
close around her. With an extraordinary
effort Miss Brown sprang to her feet, and
staggering, falling, and rolling, she made
where she was going. She finally
reached the yard in the rear, whence she
ran to neighbor's house, and,
climbing through balcony, sank down in
swoon. A neighbor found her there and car
ried her into the street, where skirt and
some other cloi hing were given to her. She
went down to the scene of the explosion and
remained there in agony, eagerly scanning
the charred and bruised faces as the flremen
carried the victims from the ruins.
With Mrs. Bryant, on the second floor,
lived two boarders, Charles Eifferd and Mrs.
Beasley. Mrs. Beasley was buried so deeply
in the debris that the search for her was
given up until the others were removed.
Charles Eifferd was taken out alive and he
will recover. The body of Charles N. De.
veere was found in the debris and removed
to the Morgue.
Besides those injured in this building there
were many persons in the neighborhood who
were more or less cut and bruised. For
several blocks on either side of the
streets the conclusion shattered the
windows, and in the immediate
vicinity on the opposite side of the way,
the fronts of the buildings were smashed in,
and scarcely window or door remains
Walls cracked, floors gave way, and plaster
fell in almost every house within radius OF
hundred yards
The general belief is that escaping gas filled
the cellar, and that Mr.. Newman kept a
quantity Of kerosene oil and gasoline in the
cellar near where the explosion evidently
took place. The vessels and the oil, il there
was any, have been destroyed, and the only
man that knows is dead